According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, kidney disease is a “silent” killer, affecting approximately 14% of the population. Oftentimes, the early stage of kidney disease shows no symptoms. Unfortunately, if left untreated, it will progress, generally requiring dialysis and a kidney transplant.
Steven Winfree, a baseball fan from Tennessee, had had a 14-year-long battle with kidney disease and was ultimately forced to go undergo dialysis in November of 2016.
After 8 long months of treatment, Steven had yet to find a kidney donor, but the young husband was patient, using baseball cards as a way to distract himself from the progression of the disease.
His wife Heather Winfree tells MLB.com:
“There were a lot of times where he would be in the hospital and I would grab a pack and we would open them. The low-key fun gets our minds off of the everyday stress.”
Heather, however, had a special surprise up her sleeve: she had been tested and deemed a good match for Steven’s kidney replacement. To tell her husband the life-saving news, she came up with a unique idea.
Heather’s big reveal was captured on film and uploaded to YouTube on July 6th, 2017. Prior to filming, she had given her husband a new pack of Topp baseball cards— but there was a little surprise inside…
The video shows Steven checking out the new additions to his collection. He examines each card excitedly, naming the players as he flips through the stack.
Noah Syndergaard, Ben Zobrist, Mike Trout—”Oooh, very nice,” he exclaims when getting to Clint Frazier.
Soon, however, one card catches his eye. “What is it?” Heather asks. After a second, he responds. “Looks like a baseball card.”
She continues to prompt him, asking, “What’s it say on the back? Who’s on it?”
Steve chuckles, showing the card to the camera. “Hey, look. It’s me!”
“Read it,” Heather urges excitedly.
“Steve’s had a lot on his plate. With his health issues, he’s been striking out a lot. He was not sure how he was going to wind up. His wife, however, thinks he is a great catch. So, she’s decided to go to bat for him. Now, Steve will be a rookie recipient of—”
When Steve gets to the word ‘transplant’, he starts to bawl.
Heather, seeing her husband’s emotional reaction, begins to cry herself, explaining the situation.
She reveals that she had the card ordered before they had even been confirmed a match, but had received confirmation of the good news earlier that day.
A stunned Steven cannot say anything in return, except for four powerful words:
“You’re saving my life.”
Heather’s selfless surprise and unique reveal have garnered over 239,000 views on YouTube. After the event, an excited Steven took to Twitter to reveal the good news, posting:
I’M GETTING A NEW KIDNEY!! MY WIFE IS A MATCH!!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!! I’M BAWLING MY EYES OUT RIGHT NOW! We got the reaction on film too!!
— Knoxville Kidney Guy (@Steve_Winfree) July 7, 2017
Watch the moving moment below!
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